Sheet-feeding apparatus.



Patented N0v.29, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. B. DICK.

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS.

. APPLICATION rum) A133. 6, 1908. 977,283.

, INVENTOR v CW 491 M ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

A. B. DICK. SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 190B.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

INVENTOR 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 BY .v S flihm ATTORNEY A.B.DIGK. SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR.6.190&

Patented Nov. 29; 1910.

S SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES: I NVENTOR ATTORNEY To all whom it may concern: M Be it known that Lake Forest,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

ALBERT B. DICK,

or LAKE FORES ILLINOIS: AssIeNoR CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION r To A. B. DICK COMPANY, or

ILLINOIS. 1

SHEET-FEEDING APPARATUS.

I, ALBERT Bi DICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sheet-Feeding Apparatus," of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for feeding sheets of paper or' other material successively to any suitable device such as a printing or folding machine and particularly to a stencil-duplicating machine.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved form of sheet-feeding apparatus which is simple in construction and reliable and efiicient in operation, in which provision is made for an adjustment whereby the impressions or folds may be received by the sheets in the desired positions, with which the" feed of sheets at other than the proper times is precluded, with which accurate registration may be obtained,

be operated at high speed.

The invention involves the use of one or more grippers, each having the jaws thereof and which may located one above and the other below the path of movement of the sheets, mechanism for operating these grippers to cause them to grasp the sheets of paper and release the same successively, and mechanism for reciprocating the grippers to move them forward when they have grasped a sheet and return them to initial position after they have released-the sheet. With these grippers, one or more steps are combined to arrest the movementof a sheet in the position for proper coaetion I with the grippers. Preferably, means are provided for moving these stops so as to carry them out of the path of movement of a sheet just as the latter is grasped by the grippers, but as soon as the sheet has been moved by the grippers to such position thatthe stops cannot arrest its movement, the latter are allowed to return to their initial position so that another sheet may be fed forward as soon as is de sired and will be arrested in proper position by the stops.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a central section of the machine on line 1-1, of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a top View of a portion of the machine broken Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed-Ap il 6, 1908.

Patented Nov. '29, 1910. Serial No. 425,407.

away and sectioned in part, the stencil-car rying drum being removed, Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view on line 33 of Fig. 2, Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail views hereinafter referred to, and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are'detail views of the sheet-grippers and-stops showing three positions thereof. 7

Referring tothese drawings, the machine consists of a base A on which are mounted side-frames A A The stencil-carrying drum C is'mounted for-rotation in bearings formed in these side-frames and has a gear 0 adapted to be fixed to one end thereof and meshing with a pinion c secured'on a stubshaft mounted for rotation in the side frame A and carrying an operating handle 0 The gear 0 is loose on the stub-shaft atone end of the stencil carrying drum C and is secured to a sector-shaped piece 0 provided with an arc-shaped slot through which a screw 0 extends, the end of this screw entering a threaded opening in one of the end pieces of drum C ;'by means of screw 0*",gear 0 may be secured to the drum C'in any desired position, in order to obtain the desired relation of the drum 0 and the stencil secured thereon, to the other parts driven by gear 0. The drum C is provlded with the usual foraminated cylindrical surface over which an inking pad and a stencil sheet may be secured, and coacting with this drum is a pressure roller D mounted for rotation below the drum in arms cl loosely mounted on studs d extending inwardly from the side frames A, A The ends of the arms at are curved downwardly as shown in Fig. 1 to coact with cams 03 mounted upon a shaft (Z which is provided with a suitable operating handle .whereby the arms at may be turned about the studs d to carry the pressure roller D to inoperative position with respect to the stencil carrying drum. The gearc also meshes with the gear E mounted for rotation on a stud e extending inwardly from the side ,1

frame A. On the inner face of this gear isan eccentric pin 6 which enters a slot in a lever e pivotally mounted at 6 on the side frame A". Lever e is connected by'a link e with an arm F secured to and depending from a shaft .j which is mounted for rotation in bearings formed in the side framesof the, machine. Atthe other shaft f carries an arm F similar to arm F. The lower ends of the arms F,'F'.are connected by links fwith gripper carriers G,

side of the machine,

depth, the

' feed-board as shown in The carriers G, G are each provided with a groove to receive a bar 9 secured upon the side frame of the machine and disposed in a horizontal osition. The upper ends of the carriers d, G project through slots (Fig. 2) in a metallic plate 9 which forms part of the feed-board of the machine, the other part being of wood as indicate at g in Fig. 1, and these two parts being supported upon the side frames of the machine with their upper surfaces in the same plane. The upper ends of the carriers G, G are connected by a strip H lying above the feed-board g", this plate having a plurality of integral fingers h projecting from one edge thereof, and the ends of thesefingers being a short distance above the upper surface of the feedboard. The fingers 12. constitute the upper gripper jaws; the lower gripper-jaws are shown at is and consist of strips of sheet metal having curled ends as shown secured to fingers integral with and projecting from a strip K. The ends of this strip are turned at a right angle to the body-portion thereof to form the end pieces and these end pieces are pivotally mounted at 70 upon the ipper carriers G, Springs 7. are coile about a rod 74* extending between the gripper carriers G, G and each of these springs has one end aflixed to the gripper carrier and the other end bearin upon the strip K so that the springs is ten to turn strip K about the pivots k in a direction to carry the upper ends of the lower gripper-jaws upwardly through slots 70 (Fig. 2) in plate 9 into contact with the ends of the upper gripper-jaws h.

The turning movement of the strip K carrying the lower gripper-jaws about the ivots h under the tension of springs 70 is imited by a stop I secured upon the end piece it" of the strip K at one side of the machine. The end of this fingeris ada ted to enter depressions in the periphery o a stop-wheel 27 mounted for rotation upon a stub-shaft 2" on the gripper carrier G. The stop-wheel 2'. is preferably shaped as indicated in Fig. 6 that is, in its periphery are a plurality of depressions 2' of equal de th, and alternating with these are a plura ity of depressions 2' of a less de th. When the end of stop I enters one o the depressions of greater ends of the lower gripperaws is are in the upper position in contact with the ends of the upper gripper-jaws h, but when the end of stop I is in one of the shallower depressions the ends of the lower gripperjaws 7.: are held out of contact with the upper gripper-jaws it since when stop I enters one of the shallower depressions the turning movement of strip K about pivots is? under the tension of springs is? is arrested when the ends of the lower gripper-jaws are below or flush with the uppersurface of the Fig. 3. Secured to stu the stop-whecl i is a ratchet wheel J having a number of teeth equal to the total number of depressions in the periphery of the stopwheel. With this ratchet wheel, a pawl 7' coacts, this pawl being pivotally mounted upon a plate 7' vhich is pivotally mounted upon the stub shaft carrying the ratchet wheel and the stop-wheel. Projectingfrom one face of the plate y are two pins 1 and j, and a spring 7' coiled upon a stud 9' on the gripper carrier G has one end extending under the in 7' so that this spring tends to turn the p ate 7' about its pivot in a direction to cause pawl j to slide back over the teeth of the ratchet J. The end of pawl y is held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel by a spring i (Fig. 4).

Secured to the inner face of the ear E is a disk L having two studs 1, Z pro ecting from one face thereof. These studs are adapted to engage and actuate a reciprocating plate l which is pivotally connected to an actuating member V shaped as shown in Fig. 3. In order to position the late Z and guide it in its movement, the p ate is provided with a horizontally disposed slot Z through which extends a in Z, this pin projecting inwardly from t e side frame A The member Z is pivotally mounted upon the stud'd upon the side frame A and a spring Z is connected at one end to member Z and at the other to the side frame, so that this spring acts on member Z to turn it in a direction to carry the end of plate Z into the path of movement of studs Z, Z, excessive movement of member Z being precluded by a stop Z On the end of one of the horizontally disposed arms of the member Z is a projection M adapted to engage the pin 7' when the gripper carriers are in the rearward position, and on the end of the other horizontally disposed arm of the member Z is a projection N adapted to engage the pin i when the gripper carriers are in the forward position. Disk L is provided with a cam projection P adapted to coact with a roller'on the end of an arm 1) pivoted upon a stud extending inwardly from the side frame and a projection on the lower end of arm p extends under a plate 0 pivotally sus ended from the stud Z and a similar at the other side of the machine. Se-

cured to the plate 0 are a plurality of. stops 0 the ends of which are upwardly turned and extend through openings 0" (Fig. 2) in the feed-board 9 A spring 0 connected at one end to the plate 0 and at the otherend to the side frame A holds the stops 0 normally in operative position in which they are shown in Fig. the side frames A, A is a bar R on which a plurality of guides are secured, these guides being preferably shaped as shown in Fig. 1, so as to provide an inclined portion 1' and at the end of this a horizontally dis- 3. Extending between when thus actuated, is sufficient to carry the,

'tween the bifurcated v tension of spring pers 7c are moved upwardly,

senses osed portion 1, and the ends of these guides eing bifurcated. and so disposed that the ends of the stops 0 underlie the spaces be portions of the guides.

In the operation of the machine a pile of impression sheets is placed upon the feedboard g and the operator turns handle 0 with one hand and passes the impression sheets successively forward over the surface of the feed-board with the other. While the gripper-jaws are in the forward position and while they are returning to the rearward position they are separated since the lower gripper-jaws is are held in inoperative position with their upper surfaces flush with or below the upper surface of the feed-board and the stops 0 are then in the upper or operative position. At this time the operator may pass a sheet forwardly overthe feed-board until its forward edge engages the stops 0 and .its movement is arrested thereby. By turning the handle 0 the gripper carriers are moved back by the arms F, F and links f to the rearward position and as they reach this position one of the studs Z engages the end of the plate Z and operates the latter to rock member Z against the Z When member Z is thus rockedi the projection M thereon engages the upper surface of pin 7' and rocks plate 7" so that the pawl j carried thereby operates the ratchet J and stop-wheel z. The extent of the movement of stop-wheel i shallow depression 11 therein in which the end of stop I rests, away from the end of the stop and to bring a deep depression 7? under the end of the stop I, and when this occurs the springs k turn the plate K and the lower gripper-jaws k carried thereby about the pivots 10 so that the lower gripengage the sheet and raise the latter a slight distance above the surface of the feed-board until it is gripped between the lower gripper-jaws 7c and the upper gripper-jaws h. Just as this occurs the cam projection P rocks arm 7) about stud 32' thus rocking the plate '0 about the pivots Z against the tension of the spring 0 until the ends of the stops 0 are below the surface of the feed-board. The

gripper-jaws 7c and h then move forwardly, the carriers G, G being actuated by the links f and arms F, F, and when moved thus, the gripper-jaws carry the sheet along with them. Immediately after the forward edge of the sheet passes beyond the ends of the stops 0 the cam projection P allows the arm p, the strip 0 and the stops 0 to be returned substantially to their former positions by the spring 0 this is permitted because of the fact that the upper gripperjaws it move in the path a slight distancev above the surface of the feed-board and the ower. gripper jaws hold the .sheet up under side'of the-sheet .one of the shallower against the under surface of the upper gripper-jaws h. The ends of the stops 0 may therefore project a short distance above the surface of the feed-board in contact with the forward, the upper surface of the sheet being in contact with the ends of the guides 1 For this reason while the sheet which is which is being fed.

being fed forward is passing over the stops 0, and in fact immediately after the forward edge of the sheet has the ends of the stops, another sheet may be moved forward over the feed-board into po 'sition and such movement will be arrested at the proper point by the stops 0. The sheet grasped by the gripper-jaws hand is -w1ll be moved forwardly thereby until its forward edge is caught between the stencilcarrying drum and the pressure roller and just as this occurs the other pin 1 will engage the end of plate Z and operate member Z as above described.

of member Z however, engages the under side of pin 7' and plate j is again actuated so as to cause the ratchet J and stop-wheel 2' to move one step. This the projection N movement of the stop-wheel causes the transfer of the end of the stop I from one of the deep depressions in stop-wheel z' to depressions i and the plate K is thus turned about the pivots and against the tension ,of the springs 10 to carry the lower gripper-jaws 7a to inoperative position in which they are shown in Fig. 3. The sheet is thus released by the grippers and its further movement is effected by the stencil-carrying drum and the pressure roller. The backward movement of the grippers then takes place and when in the rearward position they are again operated in a similar manner, to grip the next sheet to be fed forward, this sheet being then in posit-ion with its edge in contact with stops 0.

' By means of the provision for adjustment of the gear a relative to the stencil-carrying drum by screw 0* the position of the stencil on the drum C with relation to the mechanism for actuating the grippers, may be regulated as desired and in this way the position of the impression received by the sheets may be varied so that the impressions will bear the desired relation to the edges of the sheet. One end of the drum may be provided with scale markings with which the edge of the sector-shaped member 0 may coact to indicate the posit-ion which the impression received by a sheet will bear to the edges of the sheet.

A machine thus constructed may be operated at very high speed; in fact, its speed is limited only by the ability of the operator to feed the impression-sheets into position In this movement passed beyond successively for proper coaction with the grippers. T his may be done at higher speed contact with the upper gripperaws h, the

passage of the edge of the sheet between the 'two sets of gripper-jaws and into contact with the stops Will be thereby precluded and the grippers will start on their forward movement while the sheet remains at rest. In this case the operator should turn the operating handle backward a short distance has been actuated so as A further advantage until the member 1 to open the grippers. present in a machine constructed as above described is that 'the feed of the sheets is quite uniform and'therefore accurate regis-' tration of the impressions received by the sheets with matter previously printed thereon, is obtained.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows 1. Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising the combination of a feed-board, a gripperjaw mounted above the plane of the surface of the feed-board, a second gripper-jaw, means for moving the same toward said first-named gripper-jaw to raise a portion of the sheet between said jaws off said board and away from said gripper-jaw to release said sheet, and means for simultaneously reciprocating said gripper-jaws with the first gripper-jaw moving above and parallel to the plane of the surface of the feed-board, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a rotary printing member, means for rotating the same, a movable member cooperating .with said member and forming therewith a printing couple, a feed-board having an opening therein, agripper-jaw mounted above the surface of the feed-board, a second gripper jaw, means for moving the same in said opening to carry its end toward said firstnam'ed gripper-jaw to raise a portion of the sheet between said jaws off said board and away from said jaw to release said sheet. means for reciprocating said gripper-jaws in accordance with the rotation of said rotary member with the first gripper-j aw moving above and parallel to the surface of the feed-board, and means for effectingan adjustment of the time of operation of the gripper-jaws with respect to the rotation of said 'rotary vmember, substantially as set forth.

3. Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising the combination of a feed-board, an upper "gripper-jaw mounted above the plane ofithe surface of the feed-board, a lower gripperjaw movable toward and away fromtheup-v per gripper-jaw, means for reciprocating the gripper-jaws. with the u per grip erjaw moving above and paralle to the plime of the surface of the feed-board, an upwardly extending stop, means for moving the sto downwardly to inoperative position be ow the plane of the feed-board, and means for ,returning the stop to operative position to arrest the movement of a sheet forwarded into coaction with the stop immediately after-the forward edge of another sheet has been moved past the stop by saidgripper-jaws, substantially as set forth.

4. Sheetfeeding apparatus comprising the combination of a rotary printing member, a feed-board, an upper gripperaw, 1ying above the plane of the feed board,-a lower gripper-jaw movable toward and away from the upper ripper-jaw, a single means for rotating sai member and IBCl-P- rocating said gripper-jaws with the upper gripper-jaw moving above and parallel to the plahe of the surface of the feed-hoard, means for adjusting the time of the reciprocation of the gripper-jaws with respect to the rotation of said member, an upwardly extending stop, means for moving the stop downwardly to inoperative position below the plane of the feed-board, and means for returning the stop to operative position to arrest the movement of a sheet fed over said board into coaction with said stop immediately after the forward edge of another sheet has been moved past said stop by said gripper-jaws, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a rotary printing member, means for rotating the same, a movable member cooperating with said member and forming therewith a printing couple, a feed-board having. an opening therein, a gripper-jaw mounted above the surface of the feed-board, a second gripper-jaw, means 11 for moving the same in said opening to I carry its end toward said first-named gripper-jaw to raise a ortion of the sheet be-' tween said jaws 0 said board and away from said jaw to release said sheet, means 11 for reciprocating said gripper-jaws in accordance with the rotation of said rotary member with the first gripper-jaw moving above and parallel to the surface of the feedboard, an upwardly extending stop for arresting a sheet'in position for co-action with said gripper-jaws, and means for moving said stop downwardly to permit the sheet to pass it, substantially as set forth.

6. Sheetfeeding apparatus comprising the combination of a feed-board, two gripper-jaws mounted on opposite sides of the 1 plane of the surface of the feed-board, means fornioving said gripper-jaws relatively to cause them to grip and release a sheet, means was v for moving said gripperjaws forwardly to vfeed asheet and rearwardly to return them to initial position, an upwardly extending paper stop, means for moving the same downwardly to inoperative position to permit a sheet to bemoved past the stop by said gripper-jaws, and means for returning the stop to operative position incontact with the under side of the sheet to arrest a second sheet in feeding position while the gripperjaws are moving forwardly and immediately after the. forward edge of the first sheet has passed the stop, substantially as set forth.

7. Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising the combination of a feed-board having two sets of openings therein, a set of gripperjaws mounted above the feed-board, a set of gripper-jaws mounted below the feed-board with their ends projecting through the open ings of one of said sets, means for moving said gripper-jaws relatively to cause them to grip and release a sheet, means for reciprocating said gripper-jaws with said upper gripper-jaws moving above and parallel to the surface of the feed-board, upwardly extending paper-stops projecting through the openings of the other of said sets, means for moving the stops downwardly to inoperative position to permit a sheet to be movedpast the stops by said gripper-jaws, and means for returning the stops to operative position immediately after the forward edge of the sheet has passed the stops, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a rotary printing member, means for rotating the same, a movable member cooperating with said member and forming therewith a printing couple, gripper-jaws, means for reciprocating said jaws in correspondence with the rotation of said member, means for moving said jaws relatively in their reciprocating movementto cause them to grip a sheet, carry the sheet forward till its end projects between the members of the printing couple and then release the sheet, a paper-stop for arresting a sheet in feeding position, means for moving the paper-stop to inoperative position to permit the sheet to be moved past the stop by said gripper-jaws, and means for returning the stop to operative position in contact with the under side of the sheet to arrest a second sheet in feeding position immediately after the forward edge of the first sheet has passed the stop, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a rotary printing member, means for rotating the same, a movable member coiiperating with said member and forming therewith a printing couple,"a feed -board having an opening therein, a gripper-jaw mounted above the surface of the feed-board, a second gripper-jaw, means for moving the same in said opening to carry its end into and out of contact with said first-named gripper-jaw, means for reciproeating the gmfpper-jaws in accordance with the first sheet has passed the stop, substantially as set forth.

1.0. Sheetfeeding apparatuscomprising the combination of a feed-board, a gripper- 1 jaw mounted above the plane of the surface of the feed-board and adapted to move parallel thereto, a second gripper-jaw, means for moving the same into and out of contact with said first-named gripper-jaw, means for reciprocating thegripper-jaws, a guide mounted stationarily above the plane of the feedrboard, a stop underlying said guide, means for moving the stop downwardly to inoperative position to permit a sheet to be forwarded past the stop by said gripper-jaws, and means for moving the stop to operative position immediately after the forward edge of the sheet has passed it, substantially as set forth. I

11. Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising the combination of gripper-carriers, upper and lower gripper-jaws carried'thereby oneof which is-movably mounted onthe carriers, means for reciprocating the carriers, a stop device governing the position of said movable gripper-jaw, and means for rotating said stop step by step in one direction in accordance with the reciprocation of said carriers, substantially as set forth..

12. Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising the combination of gripper-carriers, upper and lower gripper-jaws carried thereby one of which is pivotally mounted on the 'carriers, means for reclprocating the carriers, a spring acting on said pivotally mounted gripper-j aw to turn it in-a direction to carry its end into contact with'the other gripperjaw, a stop for holding said pivotally mounted gripper-jaw against the tension of said spring, and means for rotating said stop step by step in one direction in correspondence with the reciprocation of said carriers, substantially as set forth.

l3. Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising the combination of a feed-board, a gripper jaw mounted above the plane of the feed-- board, a second gripper-jaw, means for moving the same toward said gripper-jaw to raise a portion of the sheet between said jaws, means for reciprocating the gripperjaws with said upper gripper-jaw moving above and parallel to the plane of the feedboard, a stopmov'able to operative and inoperative positions, and means for moving the stop to operative position immediately after the sheet has been raised by said gripper-jaw, substantially as set forth.

14. Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising the combination of a feed-board, gripperjaws, means for moving said jaws toward each other and thus moving a sheet positioned on said board, means for reciprocating said jaws, a stop, means for moving the stop to inoperative position immediately I v after the gripper-jaws grip, a sheet, and means for returning the stop to operative position in contact with the sheet inime- 15 diately after the reciprocatory movement ofthe gripper-jaws to forward the sheet is begun, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 31st day of March, 1908.

ALBERT B. DICK. \Vitnesses:

I. MCINTOSH, D. S. EDMONDS. 

